There are three biographiessuperior to all others.
Of all the literary arts, biography is the most difficult.
The weak, on the other hand, will suffer out of
measure for allmistakes.
The story itself is extraordinary and of course
extraordinarily welltold.
In a portrait of him I have already given my
reasons for placing himwith the greatest.
We all feel thatthose who have borne the burden and
heat of the day deserved more thanthe others. Here all the demands of justice are
fulfilled.
It was this proverb, no doubt, which gave Wells the
idea of the story. He describes Johnson from day to day andfrom night to night, in
his habit as he lived. A month later I went down to Oxford to talk on the short
story. No Greek myth, or drama, or lyric is of this class. Sleep at least six hours
each night and at most seven and a halfin a dark room with open windows. Did he fall
in love in youth or was his wife his onlyaffection?
On this sideand on that, when he least expected it,
Shakespeare found admirers anddefenders. But Aubrey is not so great an artist as
Holbein. Sleep at least six hours each night and at most seven and a halfin a dark
room with open windows. It is clear that Aubrey had a perfect consciousness of
thepeculiarities of his task. It was this proverb, no doubt, which gave Wells the
idea of the story.
THE ART OF BIOGRAPHYBiography, properly considered,
is the topmost peak of art. Hesmiled, remarking that Id find lots to say as soon as
I was on myfeet.
No Greek myth, or drama, or lyric is of this class.
Here all the demands of justice are fulfilled. Now there is, of course, an element
of truth in this story. Temporary excesses are not harmful; sometimes, indeed, they
arepositively beneficial.
This book has forced me to revise my judgment of
Kipling. There are three biographiessuperior to all others.
Hesmiled, remarking that Id find lots to say as
soon as I was on myfeet. The Book of Job was the first sign of revolt against this
cheerfuloptimism.
Now there is, of course, an element of truth in
this story.
No Greek myth, or drama, or lyric is of this class.